Binding-post.



No. 757,809. PATENTED APR. 19, 1904.

s. 0. HOUGHTON.

BINDING POST.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. so. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

llz'iize ssea fizz/67123071 UNITED STATES Patented April 19, 1904.

STEPHEN C. HOUGHTON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BINDING-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,809, dated April19, 1904, Application filed December 30, 1903. Serial No. 187.167. (Nomodel.)

' In binding-posts as ordinarily made the wire is thrust into or throughthe post across a hole which receives the wire-holding screw, 3 and thetendency is for the screw to cut off i the wire when turned in hard, andunless the; screw is turned in hard it is liable to loosen.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction ofbinding-posts to the end that the wire-holding screw or its equivalentmay be turned or driven 1n hard enough to positively insure it remainingtight, yet at the same time the wire will not be cut OE and a good andeflicient electric connection or con.

tact will be produced. 1

My invention also has for its object to im prove the construction ofbinding-posts to the end that the bottom wire may be connected to thepost and lead therefrom without countersinking the back board or othersupport to which the binding-post is attached.

The invention consists, essentially, in a post having a hole and aninclined wire-engaging face at one side of said hole, a wire-holdingwedge adapted to enter said hole and hold the wire in firm engagementwith said inclined face, and a wire-receiving opening in the postleading to said inclined wire-engaging face,

Figure 1 shows in side elevation a bindingpost embodying this invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the binding-post shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a transverse section of the binding-post shown in Fig. 1, taken onthe dotted line 3 3. Fig. 4: is a right-hand side elevation of thebinding-post shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 illustrate modifiedforms of binding-posts embodying this invention.

The post a, preferably cylindrical, is provided with means for securingit to a back board or other suitable support, and, as shown in Figs. 1and 2, a plate a is secured to the post, having holes through whichscrews pass to secure the plate to the support, or, as shown in Fig. 5,the lower end of the post, which projects into a hole in the support, isexternally screw-threaded to serve as a means for securing it to thesupport.

I; represents a wire-holding wedge, which is representedas a screwhaving a conical or wedge-shaped end. The upper end of the post a isformed or provided with a hole adapted to receive said wire-holdingwedge or screw, said hole being screw-threaded to receive said screw andthe bottom of said hole being formed with a conical recess d to receivethe conical end (Z of the wire-holding wedge or screw.

At the side of the hole in the post a wireengaging face is provided,which is herein represented as one side of the conical recess at thebottom of the holeas, for instance, at or about the point 2so that awire laid upon said engaging face will be in position, to be engaged bythe conical end of the screw, and thereby wedged against the engagingface with a severe pressure. The post is provided with a transverseopening or slot forthe wire which leads to said'engaging face 2, wherebythe wire may be easily introduced and brought into position on saidengaging face. In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4:, and 5 a slot 0 is provided in thepost, which extends transversely inward to a point at least as far asthe center; yet said slot may continue farther, if desired, and saidslot serves as the wire-receiving opening, and in Fig. 7 two holes ofdifierent diameters are provided for different-sized wires, which alsolead to said wire-engaging face at the side of the hole which receivesthe wire-holding wedge, or said holes may be made of the same diameterfor two leading-in wires, if desired.

In Fig. 6 the wire-holding wedge is represented as a conical or taperingplug adapted to be driven into the hole in thepost in lieu of the screwshown in the other figures, and in Fig. 7 the screw is provided with aknurled head or flange.

The wire which enters the slot is brought into a position against orupon the wire-engaging face, and then the wire-holding wedge is turnedor driven in and the wire engaged and pressed firmly into engagementwith the engaging face and held. As the wire is thus wedged between thewire-holding wedge and engaging face considerable pressure is broughtupon the end of said wire holding wedge, which is exerted laterallythereon, and as a result said wire-holding Wedge is caused to bind inthe hole in the post and is thereby pre- Vented from loosening. The Wiremay be impinged with a severe pressure and yet will not be cut off.

The lower end of the post is slotted longitudinally instead oftransversely for the introduction of the wire, said slot beingrepresented at d, Fig. 4, and the wire-holding wedge 03 is screwed ordriven into the hole in the bottom of said post, which impinges the wireupon the engaging face provided at the side of said hole, whereby theinclined portion of the wedge will engage said wire and hold it inengagement with the wire-engaging face. The longitudinal slot ispreferably located at one side of the center. The longitudinal slotprovides for the passage of the wire along the side of the post, so thatthe wire may enter the hole in the support which receives the lower endof the post, and the necessity of countersinking said support is therebyobviated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A post having a hole and an inclined wireengaging face at the side ofsaid hole, a wirereeeiving opening in the post intersecting a portion ofsaid wire-engaging face, and a wireholding wedge which enters said hole,the wire being held in firmengagement with said inclined face by theinclined portion of said wedge, substantially as described.

2. A post having a hole and an inclined wireengaging face at the side ofsaid hole, a transverse wire-receiving slot in said post leading to saidinclined wire-engaging face, and a wireholding wedge which enters saidhole, the wire being held-in firm engagement with said inclined face bythe inclined portion of said wedge, substantially as described.

3. Apost having a hole and a Wire-engaging face at the side of saidhole, a longitudinal wirereceiving slot in the post, intersecting aportion of said wire-engaging face, and a wire-. holding wedge whichenters said hole, the

face by the inclined portion of said wedge,-

substantially as described.

4:. A post having a hole with aconical recess at the bottom, andawire-engaging face at the side of said conical recess, a wire-receivingslot in the post intersecting a portion of said wireengaging face, and ascrew having a conical end which enters said hole, the wire being heldin firm engagement with said face by the conical end of said screw,substantially as described.

5. 'A post havinga hole with a conical recess at the bottom and awire-engaging face at the side of said conical recess, a transversewirereceiving slot in the post leading to said wireengaging face, and ascrew having a conical end which enters said hole, the wire being heldin firm engagement with said face by the conical end of said screw,substantially as described.

6. Apost having a hole and a wire-engaging face at the side of saidhole, a longitudinal wirereceiving slot in the post leading to saidwireengaging face, and a screw having a conical end which enters saidhole, the wire being held in firm engagement with said face by theconical end of the screw, substantially as described.

7 A post having a screw-threaded shank, said shank having a hole andawire-engaging face at the side of said hole, a longitudinalwire-receiving slot in the post leading to said wire-engaging face and awedge having a clamping end which enters said hole, thereby forming awire-receiving space between said Wedge and the outer wall of saidshank.

8. In a binding-post a threaded cylindrical shank, longitudinallyslotted and tapped to receive a conically-pointed binding-screw, aconical wire-engaging face cooperating with said screw, saidlongitudinal slot forming an entrance-passage for a terminal wire.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

STEPHEN C. HOUGHTON.

Witnesses:

B. J. NOYES, H. B. DAVIS.

